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Writer’s Block and Some Fast Facts

Lately, I just haven’t fully felt motivated to write or craft. Ok well let’s be honest, I end up asleep on the couch a lot. So while I am being more active with the dogs and trying to keep the house cleaner than it was in January, it has not left me much brain power for the blog.

So in an effort to push away the blockage, I thought I would share some random facts about myself. This may be more than you want to know about me, but oh well.

1. I don’t have a sense of smell. Cue-What you can’t smell? How is that possible? Can you taste? Here try to smell this-insert random object stuck up my nose. I am serious. I do not smell things. I realized this in elementary school when you were blindfolded to see if you could tell the difference between different objects using your senses. And I thought everything was the same when it came to smell. Since there really isn’t anything you can do for smell, I just have kind of let it go. I actually hid it from my parents for a long time (like only within the last couple years told my dad and step-mom) because I was embarrassed. With people I don’t know, I just play along when they say something smells good/bad. But for real folks, I can’t smell. I taste things just fine since all of you were wondering. I will say that I do put a lot more emphasis on texture of foods than I would say most do, but I honestly don’t know how different my taste is to a smelling person because I have never had that capability. Also, it works out pretty nicely with having a husband in the infantry because I can’t smell his rankness or farts. Sorry everyone else.

2. I know how to drive a steam engine train. It has been a few years, so I am probably a little rusty, but I am sure I could pick it right back up. I learned this while working at an amusement park during college. The train was a real one I promise. The fun things you pick up working in a park-like how to win the carnival games (it’s not tricks, but just knowing the system and lots of practice).

One of the real engineers who taught me all about the train. He reminded me so much of my grandpa.

3. Sometimes I am really overcome with emotion. This is an issue at times. Like when I am in line at the store, and there is a sweet little baby in front of me. I have to fight back tears because I am so happy. Seriously, there are real tears in my eyes because of that child. I can cry at grocery store commercials, when I see a dog walking by me, really anything can trigger these emotions without warning. When I feel things, I feel them all out.

4. I took a ballet class when I was 25 years old. I was much more into basketball when I was a kid. I did take tap and gymnastics for a few years, but never ballet. I have always been envious of dancers, and while I don’t claim to have the best rhythm, I knew I wanted to someday take a class. So when I got my first full time job, I did just that. There were only two of us in the class, and it is still one of my favorite adult experiences. It is also some of the best workouts I have ever had. I have tried finding adult classes here to take, but I haven’t had any luck.

5. In my entire life, I have only broken one bone. And it was my butt. Although I have no other bones to compare it to, I am certain breaking your tailbone is the worst. You can’t sit, walk, sleep, or anything without feeling the pain. And going #2, just forget it. If you were not aware, every move of every day is connected to your rear end. It was awful. I broke it when I was playing a pick up game of basketball in grad school. I went to block a lay-up against a guy who was twice my size, however, I do want to say I was successful in stopping him dead in his tracks. It may have been in fear that I was dead from a possible concussion because apparently my head bounced, but that is neither here nor there. It was awful to go to classes or walk around campus for meetings for about a month after. Our classes were for 3 hours at a time, so I had to either stand for the entire time, or I laid on tables in the back of the classroom. I was really classy. And then I moved to carrying around a big rubber butt donut…even classier.

6. When I was 15, my dad let me accompany him on a school trip he sponsored to the British Virgin Islands. Long story shot, my dad was a marine biology teacher at our high school, and he did this trip for anyone who wanted to spend a week learning hands on about marine life. On a sailboat. The summer I went, he had two different sections with a few days in between, so we were there for almost 3 weeks. It was such an awesome experience and one that made me even more of a daddy’s girl.

This is the note that I got as a birthday present from my dad when I was 15. Seriously still the best birthday present ever. (And I saved you from seeing me as a gawky teenager who was living on a boat for 3 weeks…)

7. I played flute in 6th grade, but I hated having to keep my arm held up for so long (ie. lazy). So at the end of the year, when our band director asked if anyone was interested in switching to saxophone, my hand immediately shot up without even thinking about what I was signing up for. It ended up being a really great impulsive thing on my part. I loved playing sax, and it opened up so many doors that never would have happened if I stayed on flute. I am a little bitter at myself though because I still have my flute that my parents bought at my future jazz flutist insistence, but I don’t own my own saxophone. I rented an instrument every year even through college. Silly sixth grader.

8. I have a dream of owning a farm large enough that I can have an elephant sanctuary. I really wanted to train elephants when I was a kid, and it has never really left me. I have read scads of books on elephants and sanctuaries like this so I know how ridiculous of a dream this may seem. But after reading a book like Modoc by Ralph Helfer, I have always wanted to have a relationship like that with an elephant and help save their life (well maybe not everything like Modoc because they did some pretty crazy things together). Anyway, it’s like rescuing dogs on a much heavier scale.

9. I am highly allergic to cats. One time when I was a kid, my friend’s cat scratched me and my hand blew up like a balloon. I have also had a few instances where I almost took myself to the ER because I couldn’t breathe. I break out in hives and my throat closes up. Luckily, I had an amazing doctor in Iowa who found the perfect prescription match-up that I have to take daily in order to survive somewhat normally around cat dander. Unfortunately, one of those prescriptions is not approved for pregnancy, so I am making do with a back up in the mean time.

10. The most random movies will give me nightmares, and pretty much any scary movie or mind game movie naturally. When I was a kid, I cried and had nightmares with the Lion King…I know just plain silly. I still loved it, and wouldn’t know I would get nightmares until I went to sleep. Now it is mostly your typical nightmare inducing flicks, like The Black Swan. Awful. I couldn’t sleep for weeks because of that movie. I would just lay in bed and cry like I was 5 years old (and I was 26…). It also didn’t help that my husband likes to scare the crap out of me and would jump from behind me with a picture of Natalie Portman’s character over his face. True story of torture.

11. I have been told that I have a nice singing voice. However, I cannot sing A Capella or solo and sound good. I need music or someone else to accompany me to actually have a good singing voice. I don’t know why, but I am guessing if I don’t have a guide on the notes, I cannot hear the tone in my own head.

12. I had pneumonia 9 times before I was a one year old. I was one sick baby. And then I was allergic to pretty much everything under the sun. I am so glad I grew out of that! Luckily for me since I spent so many of my formative years eating pretty healthy, it kind of stuck with me as I grew up. Don’t get me wrong, I am a sucker for a box of White Cheddar Cheezits, but I normally I snack on fruits and veggies. I never let my plate go un-happy as a kid. I ate every veggie put in front of me. Except Lima beans, those things are gross (but mostly because of their gritty chalky texture).

13. This number is my favorite number. I have never had a bad Friday the 13th. It was my number in basketball whenever I was allowed to choose. Tom and I become an official couple on a Friday the 13th way back in 2007. So I think it is pretty lucky for me!

I wish I didn’t finish it! I went with some girlfriends to the theater to see it. None of us knew it was a movie like that! I am pretty sure I am the only one who cried when I got home though. Just awful.

This was fun to read! I can’t believe you can’t smell – that is so random! At first, I felt bad for you because there are some WONDERFUL, amazing smells out there… but then you mentioned farts, and I became jealous.